In a news conference outside City Hall, Mayor Howard Schieferdecker thanked Phil Bonus for his years of service and he thanked him for resigning.

"It's a huge distraction. We have so many things in the city to get done, but we were spending all this time on this situation," said Schieferdecker.

In his resignation, Bonus wrote "I apologize to the public for my in appropriate conduct and regret the actions I have taken in my private life now necessitate the end of my public service."

Bonus felt intense pressure to resign after two career-damaging incidents. First, his name allegedly turned up on the client list of an Orange County brothel, and then came news and video of his arrest on charges of DUI in Tampa in 2011.

The mayor said the council will appoint a replacement for Bonus at the next council meeting on Oct. 22.

In the meantime, the mayor encouraged the people of Maitland to forgive Bonus.

"This calls for forgiveness," Schieferdecker said. "Everybody has skeletons in their closet."

The replacement will hold the office until March, when a new council member will be elected.